Of Hawks and Ironmen
by WibbleyWobbleyTimeyWhimey
Summary: When Clint and Tony are sent to capture two former SHIELD agents, the mission goes very sour, very fast.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So... Here is a little story about Clint and Tony!

There will not be slash, just friendship :)

This mainly focuses on Tony and Clint, but the rest of the team will be featured.

Not sure how long this will be, and it will be updated whenever I have enough time and inspiration.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, nor do I own Marvel. *sniff*

Please read and review! :D

...

"Tony!" Clint gasped as his head broke the surface of the murky water. "Tony! Where are you?" He was treading water, struggling to keep his head above the rolling waves. _Good Lord, Tony. How did we get into this mess?_

...

"I need Stark and Barton for this mission," Fury told the team. They were all seated around the meeting table. Clint looked up at Fury in surprise at those words. Tony continued to doze, his feet propped up on the table. Natasha rolled her eyes at Thor, who gave a playful grin. Raising a fist, he brought it down on the table with a booming CRACK. Tony jerked awake, shouting a few choice words that caused Steve to blush and Clint and Bruce to snicker.

"How nice of you to join us, Stark," Fury growled at the billionaire, who was rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"What do you want?" Tony grumbled. That had been a nice nap. He hadn't been keen on waking up.

"Clint and you are going on a mission," Steve told him.

"Fun," Tony yawned. "When do we set sail?"

"In a few hours. You will be flying in a SHIELD jet into Pisa-" Fury began.

"Pisa?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Not my favorite. Can't we go to Rome? Or maybe Venice? I have a really nice contact in Venice. We could crash at his place for a few days..."

"You aren't going on vacation, Tony. This is a mission. Take it seriously."

"Yes sir," Tony said sarcastically, pulling out his phone and sending Pepper a text.

"As I was saying, you two will fly into Pisa. We would like you to bring these two men into custody." Fury tossed a couple of pictures onto the table. Clint picked them up and studied each of them, but Tony didn't look up from his phone.

"Who are these guys?" Bruce asked, peeking over Clint's shoulder at the pictures.

"These men are Thomas Summers and Clyde Bronson, former SHIELD agents. They fed top-secret information to almost anyone who gave them a reasonable price. When we found out about their little side business, they were already out of the states. One of our agents just picked up a clue on their whereabouts," Fury explained.

"Why do you need us specifically?" Clint inquired.

"Your skill sets are best suited to take these guys down without killing them. We need your aim, Barton, and Stark's brains for this. Tony, get the suit. Clint, get your arrows. Prepare to leave."

The two nodded and stood to leave.

"Check in with us when you get to Italy. Remember to bring them both back alive, and stay in contact," Fury finished.

"The best of luck to you, friends," Thor said as the men left the room.

...

"Well, this should be an easy mission," Tony said, as he sat back in his seat and glanced out the window. They were surrounded by miles and miles of ocean, as far as human eyes could see.

"What part of this mission seems easy to you?" Clint asked incredulously. "The part about taking down two trained SHIELD agents without killing them? Or how about the fact that Fury only sent out two of us to handle this?"

"Calm down, Robin Hood," Tony said easily. "With your marksmanship and my total brilliance, we can take these suckers down..." Tony's voice faded. He was staring in confusion at his phone.

"Tony?" Clint asked nervously, all of his senses kicking into high gear. Tony shot him a warning look, then shot a fleeting glance at the pilot. Clint reached for his bow.

"Weather forecast predicts good weather in Pisa. Should be nice," Tony said, handing Clint his phone. His tone was so lighthearted, Clint almost believed that nothing was wrong. Maybe his stressed brain had only imagined Tony's look of panic. When Tony handed Clint the phone, he knew that he hadn't.

Tony had a map pulled up on his phone. The little red dot moving across the screen was obviously the plane. But why weren't they going anywhere near Italy?

Clint's head jerked up. Tony pressed a finger to his lips, gesturing at the pilot. Clint nodded and slid an arrow into his bow.

Everything happened in slow motion from there.

The pilot whipped his head around towards the pair, just as Tony dove and tackled Clint to the ground. He heard a bang and felt something shoot above his head. A parachute was clutched in Tony's hand, and he thrust it at Clint. _Has Tony been holding on to that the whole time?_ Clint thought numbly. Tony grabbed his friend's arm and jerked him up roughly, opening the jet's door. Clint heard another shot fire and saw Tony's knees buckle. That's when his brain started working properly.

Hawkeye, without looking, fired an arrow behind him. He heard a thump that let him know he had hit his target. Grabbing Tony and hoisting on the backpack, Clint jumped.

Hawkeye remembered deploying the parachute, and he remembered the force of the plane exploding knocking him into the water below. Hard. He must have blacked out for a second, because the next thing he remembered was a feeling of dread as he realized he was no longer holding on to Tony.

_We should have gone to Venice_, he thought miserably.

...

Please review! I like reviews very much :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ok, for those of you who read chapter 1 before I fixed a really big mistake, the plane exploded. I don't know how I left that out, but it has bearing on later chapters. 

To theunknownscifi: I was having a lot of trouble with that dialogue. I don't know why. Once I read it over, I realized that it really didn't make a lot of sense. Thanks for pointing that out; I fixed it :)

Thanks for the reviews!

...

Clint, who had a splitting pain in his head, decided that he was never going on a mission with Tony again. Ever.

Taking a deep breath, the archer dove under the water, squinting his eyes and searching for signs of life amongst the plane wreckage. Frustrated, he came back up for another breath of air before diving once more.

He was becoming frantic. Even Tony couldn't hold his breath for that long... Then something caught the corner of his eye: A pale blue light. Clint whipped around and saw Tony's limp form. A wave of relief was squashed by a wave of panic as the arc reactor flickered.

He swam as fast as he possibly could to his friend, taking note that the arc reactor was still glowing. Grabbing Tony under his armpits, Clint kicked with all his might towards the surface.

As soon as his head left the water, Tony began to cough violently. Come on, Tony, Clint thought as he struggled to keep both his friend and himself afloat.

"Backpack..." Tony grunted in a raspy voice that did not sound at all like the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist. "Raft..."

Crap, Clint thought. He's finally lost it.

"Chord..." Tony mumbled. He then began to mutter incoherently. Clint kept catching the word "Backpack."

Sighing, Clint grabbed Tony with one arm and pulled the parachute bag off his back with the other.

"Op'n it," slurred Tony. "D't'ch 'chute..." He gave a huge sigh, and his half-open eyes fluttered closed.

Detach the parachute? How? Clint was getting tired, and Tony's dead weight wasn't helping. Luckily, Clint had learned how to tread water for long periods of time as part of his agent training.

Clint kept a tight hold on Tony, examining the bag. He saw the Stark Industries logo on one of the straps. Of course. Adjusting his grip on Tony in order to get a better look at the pack, Clint saw a chord hanging from the bottom.

When he pulled it, the parachute fell away from the bag. Something rubber shot out of the place where the chute had been attached. Before his very eyes, a raft began to inflate.

"Only you, Tony," Clint said out loud, with a strong urge to laugh. "Only you would be smart enough to make this."

He swam over to the raft, pulling Tony along. He pushed the other man onto the boat before pulling himself up.

Clint looked at his friend in concern. There was some blood oozing out of a wound on his leg, and there was a nasty-looking bruise forming on his head.

He cut away the bottom of Tony's jeans to get a look at the injury. There was a deep cut running across his shin; Clint assumed that the bullet from the pilot's gun had grazed Tony's leg. Luckily, it had not nicked any major arteries. Clint would try to stop the bleeding, and Tony would have to make sure the gash didn't become infected.

Hawkeye breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time wondered how Tony always got off so easily. From what Natasha had told Clint, Tony had been in more life-threatening situations than anyone else on the team, not including Clint and Natasha. He was so vulnerable without the suit, but he still managed to survive... But Clint couldn't think about that now. He needed to wrap the wound.

He tore the sleeves off of Tony's T-shirt, creating a makeshift bandage out of the fabric. Stark was not going to be happy with the state of his clothes when he woke up.

Deciding that there was no more he could do at the time, Clint leaned back against the side of the raft. Feeling the rubber bottom, he shook his head in pure amazement.

"How do you do it?" Clint asked, staring at his unconscious friend. Tony really was brilliant. He had just saved both of their lives, even though he was half-drowned and probably had a concussion.

Closing his eyes, the archer licked his dry lips and tried not to worry. Fury would know that something had gone wrong when the men didn't contact SHIELD in Italy. _We're going to be fine_, Clint thought, hoping that Tony would wake up soon.

...

**A/N: I know that Tony's invention might be a little far-fetched, but it got the two out alive. :)**

**Also, I am not a doctor. I'm not sure if Clint's treatment of Tony is what he should have done in that situation, so I'm sorry if it's not.**

**Lastly: Please review :D**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all of the AWESOME reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers :(

...

The first thing Tony was aware of was the hot sun beating down upon his face. He then became aware that he was incredibly hungry and thirsty, and his head felt like it was about to split in two. It took him a minute to remember what had happened, but soon it all came rushing back to him.

He remembered grabbing the parachute and tackling Clint before the idiot could manage to get a bullet in his head. He remembered the burning sensation in his leg and then falling, so far. He had a blurry memory of hitting the water and being blown away from Clint. Then there was a sharp pain in his head, then nothing.

Stark groaned, rolling over on his side.

"It's about time," a voice came from above Tony. Stark's eyes snapped open. He quickly closed them again, fighting back a wave of nausea.

"You OK?" Clint's voice asked, with a concerned edge.

"Fit as a fiddle," Tony replied through gritted teeth.

"Tony, I need to see if you have a concussion. You must have hit your head on some of the plane's wreckage."

Tony cracked his eyes open a bit. He moaned, wincing as he sat up slowly. Finally, taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes all the way.

Looking down at himself, Tony gave a grunt of surprise. "What the devil happened to my clothes?"

"You're welcome," Clint said sarcastically.

"Why should I thank you for destroying my wardrobe? Seriously, tank tops and jean shorts are not my style." Despite the complaints, Tony opened his eyes wide for Clint to check.

"Good boy," Clint said, looking at Tony's pupils. He looked for a difference in the pupils' size, and luckily found none.

"As much as I would love to gaze into your eyes all day..."

"Shut up, Tony."

"No. Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean," Clint said impatiently.

"Well that's a lot of ocean, my friend. Did you think to check my phone?" Tony asked, pulling it out from his pocket, dripping wet.

"Tony, it's probably waterlogged," Clint told him, examining the bruise.

"It's waterproof," Tony told Clint, as if explaining addition to a five-year-old. He unlocked the phone, then cursed. "I've lost connection with JARVIS. How did I lose connection with JARVIS?"

"Uhh... Probably because we're in the middle of the ocean."

"Uhh... Unlike some people, I'm not stupid," Tony mocked, still staring at his phone. Clint didn't even bother asking him to explain. He had a headache and didn't feel like listening to the man ramble.

Tony turned the phone over and removed the screws from the back. He took the device apart completely before looking at Clint, whose mouth was hanging open.

"Don't stare, Bartlett. It's rude. And shut your mouth. You look like an ape." He picked up the battery.

"Why would you do that?" Clint asked as soon as he got his voice back. "You just took apart our only possible way of getting out of this."

"Well, first of all," Tony said with impatience, "I can put this back together. Second of all, I'm trying to connect back to Stark Tower."

"That's impossible," Clint argued.

"You underestimate me, and I am going to shun you now."

"What?"

Tony didn't reply. Instead, he began putting different pieces of the cell together.

"Oh, I get it. The silent treatment." Tony still didn't answer. "You know, I never thought you'd be able to shut up for more than a few seconds. Well done, sir. Well done."

When Clint still couldn't get a reaction out of his friend, he leaned back with a sigh and closed his eyes. At least Tony didn't have a concussion. That was one less thing to worry about. Slowly, Clint drifted off to sleep.

The first thing that greeted him when he woke up was Tony's shout of "LAND, HO!"

...

A/N: please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews! 

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Greek mythology: Artemis was the goddess of the hunt (and an awesome archer).

Disclaimer: I still do not own the Avengers.

...

Clint opened his eyes slightly just as the raft hit the beach. The archer was thrown forward violently, landing face-first in the sand. Tony snickered as Clint stood up, scowling and spitting out sand.

"Where are we?" Barton asked his friend, irritated by Tony's amused expression.

"Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean," Stark replied mischievously, then raised his hands in a defensive gesture when Clint glared at him. "Hey, I'm not a GPS."

"I take it that this island is deserted?"

"Seems like it. First things first." Tony clapped his hands together, grinning broadly. "Water. Shelter. Food. The works. Who knows how long it'll take those chuckleheads from SHIELD to find us?"

"You must be feeling better," Clint remarked, brushing sand off of his clothes.

"Um, no," Tony said, beginning to walk down the beach. "Snarky comments take my mind off of my gaping leg wound."

"It's not that bad. You're such a drama queen."

"Am not! Don't make me shun you again..."

Clint eyed his surroundings as Tony rambled. They were on a stereotypical deserted island. There was a lush forest beginning about a hundred yards from the water. It was one of the densest forests Clint had ever seen. Strange noises were coming from its depths, but Clint couldn't see anything past the first layer of trees. _Anything could be in there_, he thought, making a mental note to not wander too far in. Green mountains rose in the distance, and, as Clint watched, a flock of tropical-looking birds rose from the forest and flew towards the tallest peak.

"Hurry up, BirdBrain," Tony called over his shoulder. Clint realized he had stopped walking, and Tony was far ahead of him. He held on to his bow and jogged to catch up to the other man.

"So, we should probably scan the island first." Clint said as he fell into step with Tony.

"_We_ are not doing anything. _You_, Artemis, will be shooting down some food."

"Greek mythology, Tony?" Clint chuckled. "You must be desperate."

"It's hard to keep coming up with these nicknames!" Tony replied defensively. "I'm going to set up camp."

"What about checking out the island first?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "There," he said, pointing, "is the creepy forest that I refuse to go into. There," he continued, moving his finger towards the mountains, "are the steep mountains, which I refuse to climb. We will be sleeping," he said, pointing to a spot down the beach, "there. The island has officially been 'checked out.' Any questions?"

Clint opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again. "Have you connected to JARVIS yet?"

"No. Something's blocking the signal, and I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing. Psychotic pilot? Deserted Island? A complete loss of contact with the real world? It's a cliché survival movie! And I have a feeling that we're about to hit the climax."

"I don't like where this is going," Clint said, swallowing the fear that had just arisen within him. The terrifying part about Tony's statement was that Hawkeye had the exact same feeling.

...

"Do you have their coordinates?"

A tall, blue-eyed man with jet black hair leaned over the computer, a hungry look in his eyes.

"Give me a minute, Thomas," a shorter, blonde man replied from his seat, fingers typing furiously on the keyboard. "This is harder than it looks."

"It looks pretty complicated, Clyde," Thomas said.

"Exactly!" Clyde snapped. "So sit down, shut up, and let me work."

Thomas rolled his eyes, throwing himself into the nearest chair. The only sound for the next few minutes was the sound of Clyde's fingers on the keys.

"Got it!" he shouted triumphantly, several minutes later. He began to write the coordinates on a little notepad.

Thomas smiled coldly. "Time to pay our little Avengers a visit."

...

**A/N: I think we found the SHIELD agents... ;)**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to everyone for sticking with me!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers. I only own Thomas and Clyde.

...

Clint sat perched in a tree, looking down on the forest floor. He kept his ears pricked for any sound, his eyes open for any movement.

Clint had never liked hunting animals. First of all, it was incredibly tedious. Clint had been crouched in this tree for two hours, and nothing had come his way. Second, it always seemed that Barton had an unfair advantage. The animals he was hunting weren't armed and weren't expecting him. _Oh well_, he thought. _We need to eat._

After another hour, Clint began to nod off. His head jerked up when he heard a rustle of leaves. Silently, he slid an arrow into his bow and got ready to shoot.

It was a rabbit. About time. Before it even knew what was happening, the rabbit had an arrow straight through its heart.

That was enough for one day. Clint slung the rabbit over his shoulder and trotted towards the beach.

Tony was running around like a madman, dumping firewood into a pile that was already smoking. A variety of fruits and berries were in a large pile a little ways away from the fire. Clint dumped the rabbit's lifeless form by the fire and flopped down on the ground.

"I see you're being productive," Tony sniffed as he fanned the flames with a palm frond.

"I caught us a delicious feast," Clint argued, pointing at the rabbit.

Tony stared at it for a moment, then looked back up at Clint. "Yes. A feast. It could feed a whole army of ants."

Clint shrugged. "If you don't want it, more for me!"

Tony rolled his eyes. "I liked you better when I was unconscious. I'm going to go find water. You start cooking the... feast."

Clint chuckled as he watched his friend walk down the beach. The flames were now roaring, and he began to skin the rabbit.

...

Tony stretched, feeling the pleasant breeze on his face. This island really wasn't bad, if you got over the whole "deserted" part. He wondered if anyone owned it. It would make a nice vacation spot...

He shook his head, clearing it from the fog that was settling in on his brain. He was extremely thirsty. Tony licked his dry lips and looked around.

There was nothing but that creepy forest and the ocean. No fresh water. It looked like he was going to have to go into the forest of doom unless he wanted to die of thirst. Sighing, he jogged away from the water, towards the trees.

...

The rabbit was now cooking steadily. Clint swallowed, his throat dry. Hopefully Tony would come back soon with water.

He got up and walked down to the ocean, taking off his shoes as he went. Wading in, he looked around him at the beautiful island. He could get used to this. No people, peace and quiet...

Something caught his eye. Looking to his left, Clint saw a boat.

It was a small sailboat, anchored just off shore. Painted on the side was its name: "The Maiden's Shield." Clint ducked his head underneath the water and swam to it. Maybe the island wasn't deserted after all.

When he came to the edge of the boat, Clint held on to the side and looked in. It was completely empty, save one little piece of metal. Clint's keen eyes picked up the shiny object immediately. It was a silver bullet, engraved with the letters TS.

A sinking sensation was growing in his stomach. He had a really, really bad feeling about this. So much for peace and quiet.

...

The temperature dropped a few degrees as soon as Tony stepped into the shade of the trees. Tentatively, he took a few steps further.

A screech sounded from above, and, jumping, Tony looked up. A monkey sat in one of the trees, bouncing on its toes and baring it's teeth at the human.

"What are you looking at?" Tony asked it defiantly. Screeching, it leapt down lightly and began to hop deeper into the forest. He watched as it got a little bit ahead of him, then turned around.

Tony hesitated. Wasn't there some ancient proverb that said never to follow a monkey? Maybe not. He began walking towards the animal, who bared its teeth and continued to scamper deeper into the trees. Tony kept an eye out for landmarks; the last thing he wanted was to get lost in here.

Finally, as Tony was picking out leaves and sticks from his hair and clothes, the monkey stopped. Looking down, Tony laughed as he saw a spring bubbling out from under the foliage. Stooping, he splashed water on his face, then proceeded to drink it in in huge gulps. When he was satisfied, he turned towards the monkey.

"You know, I kind of like you."

"Yeah, we like him too." Tony nearly jumped out of his skin. Rough, calloused hands grabbed his arms, pinning them behind his back. A piece of cool metal was pressed up to Tony's throat. A knife.

"Traitor!" Tony hissed at the monkey, who howled in delight and ran up a tree. "Never trust a monkey," he said to whoever was listening.

"Hello, Mr. Stark." A blonde man walked into Tony's line of vision. "My name is Clyde Bronson.

Tony recalled the conversation with Fury. The rogue agents...

"We're going to play a little game," said Bronson, flashing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"What if I don't want to play?" Tony asked. Whoever had been holding him whirled Tony around to face him. This man was taller, with black hair and blue eyes. Some kind of gun was slung across his back, and he leaned in close to Tony's face.

"There's something called personal space. Ever heard of it?" Tony really didn't like this guy breathing all over him.

"If you don't play," the dark-haired man growled, "we're going to pay Ms. Potts a visit. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Tony shook his head, swallowing a wave of fear. They had better not bring Pepper into this.

The dark-haired man shoved Tony, who hit a tree. Very hard. His head slammed against the wood, and his vision went black for half a second. Dazed, the genius looked up at his captors from his spot on the ground. _How'd I get down here_? he thought with mild curiosity.

"Let's go get Mr. Barton, shall we? Pick him up, Thomas," said Bronson, and Tony was roughly pulled to his feet. He swayed dangerously, and Thomas held on to his arm. Tony was dimly aware of leaving the forest. The first half of the trip, he stumbled along the path. The second half, he was dragged along by his arm.

_Well, crap_, he thought as he was pushed out into the open.

...

**A/N: Pleeeeeeeaaaase review? :)**


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for the amazing reviews :) 

...

Fury sighed in irritation, frustration, and exhaustion. He'd been up for hours with the tech guys, trying to locate where Tony and Clint's plane had gone down. The whole team was with him.

Bruce was staring in frustration at a computer screen as Agent Miller typed away furiously. They had to have crashed somewhere, and Bruce was not going to accept that they were dead. Tony had showed him those cool parachutes, and Bruce knew that he wouldn't have boarded a plane without one.

Steve was slumped in a chair, his face in his hands. He had hovered around the computers for a while, but it was clear that he couldn't help in this situation. At least, not yet. He didn't want to think that his teammates might be dead, meeting the watery end that he had somehow escaped 70 years ago.

Natasha sat away from the group in silence. He couldn't be dead. Not Clint. Not like this. She was staring her hands blankly. She hadn't blinked in twenty minutes, and an agent kept coming over to see if she was alive. He finally stopped when she told him that she had access to his address.

"Something is preventing us from picking up the signal from the plane," Agent Miller explained to an extremely impatient Fury.

"Then hack through it, Agent," Fury snarled.

"Sir, it's not that easy..." If looks could kill, Agent Miller would be a dead man. He gulped and turned away from Fury's gaze. "I'll work on it, sir."

"Yes, you will."

...

Clint hurried back up to the campfire, taking the rabbit off of the flames. Tony should have been back by now. It was starting to grow dark. He sent a worried glance down the beach, looked back at the rabbit, and did a double-take. Three figures were making their way towards him. Two of them seemed to be dragging the third between them, whose head was hanging limply on his chest.

Clint grabbed his bow. He didn't like this one bit. As they neared him, Clint could make out the features. Oh God. Tony... With Bronson and Summers.

He pointed the arrow at the taller man, casting a worried glance at Tony. "What did you do to him?"

The blonde man waved his hand dismissively. "He'll be fine. But, I'm warning you, if you shoot, so will Thomas."

Clint had only taken his eyes off of Summers for a split second, but now there was a gun pointed at Tony's head.

Tony lifted his head slightly, eyes blurry. "Worst... Day... Ever..." he slurred.

Clint silently cursed. If he shot, Tony would be dead in an instant. "I agree," he said, glaring at the rogue agents and lowering his bow slightly.

"We have a proposal for you," Summers said, smiling. "SHIELD has called Tony the most brilliant man they've ever hired."

"'M fl'ttered..." Tony mumbled groggily.

"We want him to hack into SHIELD's databases for us," continued Bronson, ignoring Tony.

"Why?" Clint asked suspiciously. "Your file said you were an expert hacker."

"I have my reasons."

Tony gave what sounded like a cross between a laugh and a cough. "He can't...do it...h'mself," he grunted, and he was rewarded with a punch in the gut. Clint made an involuntary movement towards his friend. Clyde whipped out a pistol and pointed it at Clint.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Walk ahead of us." Bronson grabbed one of Tony's arms, still pointing the pistol at Clint. "Any funny business, and see what happens. Leave your bow here."

Clint hesitated. His bow? He'd never been without it. Summers noticed his lack of enthusiasm and gave Tony another punch in the stomach. Clint quickly dropped the bow, eyeing his friend, who was panting heavily.

Summers barked out directions as Clint walked ahead, towards the ocean. A monkey screeched and ran ahead of them, making Clint jump.

"You again," Tony grunted, and Clint looked at him. How bad was his concussion, exactly?

"I'm going to get the boat." Bronson waded into theater and climbed into the sailboat. He steered it closer to the beach, and Summers nodded for Clint to take Tony's other arm. With some difficulty, the two men got the third into the boat. The monkey leapt in lightly after them. Bronson grabbed the rudder and steered away, Clint looking back wistfully to where his bow lay.

They sailed for about thirty minutes before coming to another little island. It was now dark, the moon lighting their way as they stepped onto another beach. The monkey hissed and leapt towards another forest, which was smaller and less dense than the one they'd left.

"Follow the monkey," said Bronson.

_Are you serious?_ Clint thought, but he didn't argue. He concentrated on not tripping over things in the dark. The monkey scampered ahead, over roots and fallen trees, until it reached a clearing. Hissing at Clint, it leapt up a tree.

Bronson, still pointing the pistol at Clint's head, walked in front of him and tapped the tree. A door slid open, and Bronson nodded towards it. "Go on."

Clint's mouth was hanging open. This guy was just as inventive as Tony. It made him wonder what would happen if Tony was one of the bad guys.

He ducked into the tree. There was a staircase leading down, and Clint nervously took a step. The air kept getting cooler the further he went, and the ceiling dripped with water. At the bottom was a circular room, bare except for a single lantern. Clint was shoved from behind and fell down the remaining five steps. Tony was pushed down after him.

"We'll come back tomorrow. Here's some water; we don't want you dying before we're finished with you." A door slammed, and Clint scrambled onto his hands and knees.

"Tony!" Clint crawled over to his friend, sliding on the wet floor. "Tony!" He was lying on his face, and Clint turned him over. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow. "Tony, don't go to sleep. Talk to me." He lightly slapped the other man's face, then grabbed the canister of water that their captors had kindly left for them. He took a few gulps, then poured a little on Tony's face.

"'M tired!" Tony grumbled, opening his eyes, and Clint breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's your name?"

"T'ny St'rk."

"Close enough. What happened?"

"Pushed me into tree."

"What?"

"S'mmers pushed me into tree."

Clint sat back on his heels, fuming. When he got out of here, he was going to give those rogue agents a piece of his mind.

"Hey, Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"Why can't Clyde hack into SHIELD's databases himself?"

"Don't know. But he seems...to like...challenge. Think...he wants...to test me. But...not what you should be worrying 'bout..."

"Why not?"

"You...should...be worrying...'bout why Summers wants you."

...

**A/N: Please review :D**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter took me so long to write. I was suffering a severe case of writer's block. 

Warning: Tony is pretty out of character in this chapter, but he's been knocked over the head twice ;). I'd be feeling pretty emotional, too.

Thanks for everyone's continued support and your awesome reviews. :)

...

Clint leaned back against the wall,stretching his legs out in front of him. Tony had fallen asleep, and Clint checked his watch. He couldn't let his friend sleep any longer with a concussion. Standing, he leaned over Tony and shook his shoulder gently.

"Go away," Tony groaned. At least he wasn't slurring anymore.

"You've got to wake up," Clint insisted, poking Tony in the side with his foot.

"Stop it!" Tony groaned pitifully, but he sat up anyway, blinking in the dim light.

"Name?"

"Tony Stark. Age 43. Iron Man. Do we have to do this every time?"

"Yes."

Tony swore at Clint, who wagged a disapproving finger. "Language, Stark. Talk to me."

Clint was doing this to keep Tony alert as well as to assess his condition. Tony hated it.

"Who was your first crush?"

"This isn't truth or dare, Barton."

"Answer the question." Tony sighed, exasperated.

"Thalia Jones in third grade. Happy, Legolas?"

"Nope. What is your favorite memory from when you were a kid?"

Tony paused, a shadow crossing his face.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, eyeing his interrogator. Clint simply looked at Tony, silent and expectant. Finally, Tony spoke up. "When I was six, my dad took me onto the roof of his tower," Tony began, shifting in discomfort. "We sat up there, in lawn chairs, and just looked up at the stars. It was a beautiful night, not a cloud or helicopter in the sky. Dad told me, 'Son, look at the stars. Look at all of that energy left unharnessed by man, shining wild and free. Look at the complexity and vastness of the universe. You're small, son. We all are. Don't let size fool you, though. Maybe you'll be the one to harness all of that energy, or the one to better understand the complexity of those stars. Kiddo, let me tell you, you're one of them.' That was the first time he had told me that I mattered. It was the first time I felt like I belonged. They were both gone soon afterwards. Both of them..." Tony trailed off, staring at the ground. He opened his mouth, as if to continue, but a strangled sob escaped him instead.

Clint was completely bewildered. Tony had never, in the time he had known him, displayed any sort of tenderness. It was probably due to the concussion, but tears were now streaming down Tony's face freely.

_I'm not good at this_, Clint thought desperately. _Where's Steve when you need him?_

"Um... There, there..." Clint said, gingerly patting Tony's shaking back, and Tony let out a cross between a snort and a sob.

"You suck at feelings." He wiped his eyes, staring at the ground. "Look at me, Tony Stark, billionaire-genius-playboy-philanthropist, crying over a stupid memory."

"It's not stupid, Tony."

Tony smiled sadly. "The problem is, Robin Hood, it's just a memory. Crying about it isn't going to bring them back."

...

"Weakness," Summers commented, staring at the monitor. On screen, Clint was saying something to a damp-eyed Tony, who was laughing.

"He's concussed, Thomas, thanks to you. As long as his emotions don't affect his brain capacity, I don't care if he cries when the weather changes," Clyde replied coldly, also looking at the screen.

Summers rolled his eyes. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, I'll get Tony and bring him back here. You'll pick up Clint and take him to wherever you want to start. We'll be watching the show in here while Tony hacks."

Thomas grinned in excitement. His favorite part was about to begin.

...

**A/N: Review! (please)**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: A big Hulk thank you for the reviews! 

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own the Avengers.

...

Clint was running through the forest, the beast hot on his heels. A feral growl erupted from behind him, causing his heart to skip a beat. His legs pumped faster as the sound of enormous paws falling on the forest floor neared him. His breath came out in huffs, and there was a searing pain in his side. As he turned his head for a split second, Clint's foot caught a root, and the archer came tumbling to the ground. A wave of panic hit him as he realized that he was utterly defenseless. A flash of burning red eyes and razor sharp teeth, then Clint awoke with a start.

He hated not having his bow. Hated it. Hated being trapped in this stupid room with no windows. Hated what his captors had done to Tony. Hated Fury for not coming. Hated that he just didn't know if he would make it through the day, didn't know when he would leave, didn't know if the team was even looking for them, didn't know what Summers wanted with him, didn't know, didn't know, didn't know.

He looked around the small room bitterly. Tony was snoring next to him, and the lantern still flickered in the center of the room. He rubbed his chin, feeling the stubble that had grown there. Gross. Tony's perfectly manicured beard had also grown out of control. He closed his eyes, about to drift off again, when a particularly loud snore jolted him awake again. Gritting his teeth, Clint glared at the sleeping man next to him.

"Tony. Wake up," Clint said loudly.

"No," Tony moaned. "Head hurts."

"Up," Clint demanded. He was in no mood for this. Tony apparently got the message, because he yawned and stretched, opening his eyes.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Tony grumbled, rubbing his temples.

Suddenly, the door at the top of the stairs was thrown open, temporarily blinding Clint, who had grown accustomed to the dim light.

"Get up!" came a grating voice from above, as Clint's eyes struggled to adjust.

His arm was grabbed roughly, and he was yanked to his feet. Tony was looking at the scene with mild interest until his arm was also grabbed.

"Watch it!" Tony snapped. "That's a billion-dollar arm you're manhandling."

Clint twisted around to look and saw that Summers was the person holding his arm. This day just kept getting better.

"Somebody needs a major attitude adjustment," Tony said to the much bigger, much stronger man holding him. Then there was a sharp cry of pain as Summers' fist collided with his stomach. "Stop...doing...that," Tony wheezed, clutching his midsection.

Summers let go of Clint for a split second to get his gun off of his back. "We're going to have some fun, Barton," he snarled into Clint's ear.

Clint coughed. "Get a breath mint."

Tony chuckled, but was immediately silent when the gun was pressed against the back of Clint's head.

"Walk," Summers hissed, and Clint obeyed. "Follow us, Stark."

Bronson was waiting at the top of the stairs, tapping his foot impatiently. He pulled out his pistol as soon as the three men stepped out into the open.

"Stark, you're coming with me," he growled, pointing the gun at Tony.

"Can't I go with them?" he asked innocently. "Thomas here says we're going to have fun."

"'We' means 'they'," Bronson said, sighing.

"I'm pretty sure 'we' means 'we'. 'They' means 'they'," Tony said, matter-of-factly.

"Do you EVER shut up?" Summers burst out, irritated, and Clint smiled to himself. _No_, he thought.

"No." Tony voiced Clint's thoughts. "What are you going to do about it? Punch me in the gut again?"

Summers gave Tony a scowl worthy of Nick Fury.

"Come on, Stark," Bronson growled, gun still pointed at Tony's head.

"Fine. But don't think I'm happy about it." Clint could hear Tony grumbling quietly as he was led away into the forest. Clint's heart pounded in his chest. Where were they going?

A familiar screech sounded from the trees. Clint looked up as the monkey leapt down beside him, holding something in his paws. Was that... No. It couldn't be. But it was.

"You gave. My bow. To a monkey."

Summers grinned. "Clever little creature, isn't he?"

"You gave my bow to a monkey," Clint repeated, incredulous.

"Oh, just shut up," Thomas sighed, and Clint snatched the bow away from the primate.

"Where are my arrows?"

Thomas patted his backpack. "Here's how this is going to go. You are going to have to find me. Before I find you."

"Like hide and seek?"

"If that term makes you feel better."

"So what if I find you?"

"You won't," he said, smiling coldly. "But if you do, shoot me. If I find you? Well, I shoot you."

"Fine. Can I have my arrows?"

"Not yet. I get a fifty second head start. Starting now."

Thomas melted into the shadows of the trees.

"Arrows?" Clint called after him. "I sort of need them."

A dozen arrows fell from the branches above, landing in a pile at Clint's feet. Crap. He had some competition. Grabbing his arrows , Clint looked up. Summers was nowhere to be seen. He swept his gaze around the clearing, grabbed onto a low-hanging branch, and pulled himself up. He could do this.

...

Tony's fingers swept across the keyboard.

"You got any good tunes on here?" he asked, clicking on the iTunes library.

"Shut up and hack, Stark," Bronson replied, staring at the screen that was monitoring Clint and Thomas' "game."

"Fine," Tony sighed, minimizing iTunes and beginning to type furiously. "What exactly do you want me to hack?"

"I don't care. Get me any information that's worth some cash."

"OK. I can do that," Tony said, smiling a little to himself.

On screen, Clint was crouched in a tree, eyes closed, obviously keeping his ears pricked for movement.

_I'll get you out of this, buddy_, Tony thought. _Just hold on a little while longer..._

...

**A/N: Loved it? Review! Hated it? Review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thanks for all your reviews! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or any of the Marvel characters.I don't own iTunes, either._

...

Clint crouched on a branch, about 50 feet off of the ground, his bow at the ready. Obviously, his sight wasn't going to be his best asset, as Summers had a knack for blending in. Instead, he was listening.

There. A slight click, as if a bullet was being loaded into a rifle.

Clint reacted in a heartbeat. He threw himself onto a higher branch, sliding onto it with agility. A soft pop, and Clint saw a bullet lodge in the branch he had been sitting on moments before.

That was close. He heard no rustle of leaves and saw no body where the bullet had come from, so he pulled himself onto another branch and began to wait. Again.

...

"You think I want this?" Clyde screamed at Tony, waving the little slip of paper in the air. "You think this has any value for me? You think this is funny?"

Tony held up his hands in defense. "That piece of paper is worth a lot. Come on. Who wouldn't want to see Director Fury in a nightgown? It's pretty hilarious."

Bronson leaned in close to Tony, who raised his eyebrows. "Get me something good. Or else," Clyde snarled.

"Temper, temper," Tony tutted, beginning to type again. "But I'm going to need that back. It would be perfect for future blackmailing purposes."

Tony could almost see steam pouring from Clyde's ears.

...

"We've got something!" Bruce shouted, and the team crowded around his computer.

"Is it from Stark?" Fury asked.

"Most definitely," Bruce said, smiling. "It reads as follows: 'Fury plus the Dream Team: get off your lazy bums and do your job' The coordinates are attached."

"Well, whatever are we waiting for?" Thor boomed in excitement.

...

Clint whipped around, not a second too early. He saw a glint of silver, and instinctively dropped out of his branch onto a lower one, letting an arrow fly as he did so. He heard a thump and a screech.

He cursed silently. He'd hit the monkey.

...

Tony laughed out loud.

"Take that, traitor!" he cried gleefully, as Bronson glared at him. "Hey, that monkey had it coming."

"Keep working."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Tony said sarcastically. Making sure Clyde wasn't looking, he quickly pulled up iTunes again and clicked on Clyde's library.

...

Clint dropped another level in his tree, keeping his senses alert. There was a slight movement behind him, and Clint let an arrow fly. It lodged in a tree trunk. Sighing, he swung himself over to retrieve it.

Another slight movement, and Clint turned slowly.

Barely visible, Clint could see the fabric that Summers had been wearing. He loaded another arrow and let it fly, but Summers was too quick for him. He was gone before the arrow had left Clint's bow.

...

Tony was typing furiously again. He saw that Bronson was staring at the screen again, his pistol held loosely in his right hand. On screen, Summers was getting a little too close to Clint for comfort. He had to do something.

With a movement that was uncharacteristically quick for a man of Tony's age, he had twisted Clyde's arm behind his back and pointed the pistol at his head.

On screen, Clint whipped around just as Summers raised the rifle.

...

An arrow flew from his bow and hit Summers in the hand, causing him to drop the gun. Clint quickly grabbed it and threw it off of the branch.

Summers let a string of curse words fly as he tore the arrow out of his hand and threw it down. He took a menacing step towards Clint, who raised his bow.

"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is that I would much rather let Fury and the team deal with you. But if you take one more step, I will shoot you, and you will die."

Summers stopped in his tracks, a foul look on his face, his hand bleeding profusely.

...

"Look at that," Tony said to Bronson, who was trying to kick Tony's shins in vain. "My guy squashed your guy. I think it's time for a celebration, don't you?" Still pointing the gun at Clyde, Tony let go of his arm and made his way over to the computer. He typed in a command with his free hand.

As soon as the song got to his favorite part, Tony cranked up the volume.

...

**YOU KEEP ON SHOUTING, YOU KEEP ON SHOUTING**

The volume of the music blaring out of hidden speakers almost made Clint and Summers lose their footing. Birds burst forth from the trees in terror, and Summers held his bleeding hand to his head to block out the noise.

**I WANNA ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT**

Clint grinned. This had Tony written all over it.

...

**AND PARTY EVERY DAY**

"Any reason why you have hidden speakers throughout the forest?" Tony inquired of a very sour-looking Bronson.

"Sometimes Thomas likes to listen to music while he's practicing."

"And I suppose the microphone is for critiquing his, erm, _hunting_ methods. Very clever. And very convenient," Tony said, raising the microphone to his lips and turning down the volume slightly.

"This is Tony Stark, bringing you all of the best rock this forest has to offer. Now playing is Kiss, for all of those uncultured hooligans lurking in this forest. Meaning Summers. Seriously, man. This library sucks." Tony scrolled through Summers' music, then clicked on Bronson's again.

"You may be a controlling maniac, but at least you have some taste," he said to his captive. Speaking into the microphone again, he said, "Yo, Clint! Get Summers down to ground level. I'll bring Clyde over to you." On screen, Clint nodded and grinned.

Tony smiled at Bronson and turned the music up to full volume again.

...

The limbs of the trees were vibrating from the music. Summers sat with his hands over his ears, looking extremely sulky. Clint had his bow pointed at Summers, tapping out the beat of Bohemian Rhapsody with his foot.

**SO YOU THINK YOU CAN STONE ME AND SPIT IN MY EYE**

**SO YOU THINK YOU CAN LOVE ME THEN LEAVE ME TO DIE**

"Legolas!" called a voice from behind Clint, barely audible over the music.

"How'd you do it, Tony?"

"'Twas elementary, my dear Watson. Made even more simple by the sheer stupidity of Bronson. I mean, giving me a computer? Big mistake."

Clint laughed as Bronson joined Summers at his spot on the forest floor. Tony was holding Clyde's pistol, looking extremely pleased with himself.

_Well_, thought Clint, _it's been a rewarding day._

He didn't see the small smile that Thomas exchanged with Clyde.

...

"There's the island," Natasha said, looking out of the jet's window. They were circling, preparing to land. The island was a tiny green dot below them.

Steve glanced out of the window, then quickly looked away, slightly green. This didn't bring back pleasant memories.

Thor was fidgeting. He didn't like being confined in this Midgardian jail cell with wings.

Bruce stretched his legs. He, too, was ready to land, get Tony and Clint, and leave. Looking out of the window, he thought that the island didn't look half bad.

Until it erupted in flames.

...

**A/N: For anyone who wants to know, the first song was Rock and Roll All Night by Kiss. The second was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. I own neither song.**

**Please review :)**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you all SO much for the awesome reviews! Thank you all for sticking with me through ten chapters :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

...

Fantastic. Just freaking fantastic. Tony's eyes were watering from the smoke, and he coughed violently whenever he took a breath. Finally he pulled up his shirt to cover his nose and mouth. He had to find Clint.

In retrospect, Tony should have known something was up. The two had gone down way too easily. They had to have something up their sleeves. But really? Setting the whole island on fire? Things had certainly taken an unexpected turn.

These men had come prepared. They had hooked the trees up with lines that burst into flame when exposed to the smallest of sparks. Really clever.

Boy, did his head hurt. But he had to find Clint.

"Clint!" he choked. He coughed, cleared his throat, and tried again. "CLINT!"

"Here!" came a cough from within the smoke, and Tony made his way towards the voice.

All of a sudden, someone knocked him to the ground. Cool metal was attached to his wrist, and his head was yanked up by his hair. "Nice try, Stark," Summers hissed in his ear. "Hope you enjoy the fireworks."

Tony was then aware that he was alone, one of his wrists handcuffed to a tree.

It was getting uncomfortably hot. Fantastic.

...

"Tony!" Clint gagged on the smoke filling his lungs. "Tony!" he said louder, wiping perspiration from his brow. A sort of groan sounded from above, and Clint dove out of the way just as a burning tree toppled over.

"TONY!" he shouted. The flames were roaring around him. He had to get out. But he couldn't leave Tony. He yanked his shirt up to cover his mouth and nose and started running towards the place where they had been guarding the two rogue agents moments before.

"Tony!" he tried again, and this time there came a hoarse shout in response.

"Take your time, Cupid."

Eyes streaming, Clint made his way through the inferno. They had to get out. Soon. Smoke was impeding his vision, and he kept gagging on the smoke forcing its way into his lungs.

There. Tony was slumped against a tree, looking extremely bored, shirt pulled up over his mouth and nose, an arm handcuffed to the only tree that wasn't on fire yet.

Wait.

"Good God, Tony! How do you manage to get yourself into these situations?"

"Well, you know, I plan it all out beforehand. I love being handcuffed to trees in the middle of burning forests. Just shut up and cut me loose."

Clint pulled out an arrow and drove it into the middle of the metal chain holding Tony. He sighed in relief as he felt it give way and break in half. Clint yanked Tony upwards by his shirt collar and began pulling him away from the inferno.

"Strong grip you have there," Tony commented as he limped after Clint.

Clint turned around to make a biting remark and tripped over a root. Tony grabbed his friend's arm to keep him from falling and nearly lost his balance himself.

"It's getting hot over here, Barton," Tony coughed as he straightened up and grabbed Clint's arm.

Clint remained doubled over, retching.

"We can't stop now." Tony began to pull Clint after him by his arm. Giving up, he looped his arm over his friend's shoulder and under his other arm. Clint did the same to Tony, and the men began to pull each other along.

Beads of sweat ran down Tony's face, and he really felt like puking now. His head was throbbing. The sooner they got off of this godforsaken island, the better.

The two stumbled towards an open patch of woods, but were cut short when the bushes blocking their path caught fire. Sparks leaped onto Clint's arms, making him hiss in pain. Angry red burn marks appeared where the fire hit.

The two turned around and began to hobble towards the only other open path. They continued like this for what seemed like ages. Clint, coughing uncontrollably into his fist, honed in his acute navigational skills and pointed towards where the ocean should be.

Tony breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw a patch of blue sky. Finally. He was half-dragging Clint now, black spots appearing in front of his own eyes.

He was dimly aware of feeling the sand under his feet and Clint collapsing on the ground just before he did. He was aware of panicked shouts and someone pulling him away from the heat of the flames.

Then Tony's world went black.

...

**A/N: Please review :)**


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: So, I've gotten a lot of reviews asking why I hate you guys so much.

The answer is simple: It's not personal; I hate everybody.

(Kidding.)

I like to throw in cliffhangers to keep things intriguing. Sorry for leaving you guys in suspense so much in this story, though.

This chapter is NOT a cliffhanger; I felt a little bad after the last one. 

Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or the Avengers

...

It seemed like an eternity before the plane landed.

Thor was the first out, running at a full Asguardian sprint. Natasha was hot on his heels, Steve right after. Bruce took a step off of the plane, then he Hulked out.

Two ash-covered figures stumbled out of the trees just as three of the Avengers reached the forest. The Hulk was a little ways away, tearing apart trees limb from limb.

"Friend Stark? Friend Barton?" Thor boomed. The men had their backs to the team, and one of them was coughing uncontrollably. Thor clapped him on the back with concern. The man's knees buckled, and Natasha grabbed him by the hair.

"No, Thor," she said, poison laced into every word. "This is our friend, Mr. Bronson. I believe that," she continued, pointing at the other sulking man, "is Mr. Summers."

The Hulk roared in fury, and Bronson looked up at the green giant in terror. Hulk continued to uproot trees. He had deforested an acre or two at this point.

"I'm going to ask nicely," Natasha said as she slapped handcuffs on them both. "Where are Barton and Stark?"

Summers, giving off an air of boredom, said, "In there," and pointed to the trees. Natasha drew her dagger, and a flicker of fear appeared in Summers' eyes.

Then the Hulk gave a delighted roar.

Steve turned and nearly cried in relief as his friends stumbled outside and promptly collapsed. And then Natasha was running for Clint, Hulk was shrinking, Thor was thundering towards them, and Steve was glaring at Summers and Bronson, who were looking almost comically pathetic.

"THEY'RE ALIVE!" Natasha shouted from her place by the two men. "Let's bring our boys home." And, for the first time in Steve's memory, Natasha smiled.

...

"Is he OK?" the redhead asked, glaring at the nurse, foot tapping impatiently.

"Ma'am..." the nurse began, adjusting his glasses nervously.

"Is. He. OK?" she repeated through gritted teeth.

The nurse bit his lip and looked at the intimidating woman. "I'm not authorized to release Mr. Stark's private information."

"Let me tell you something," Pepper snarled, taking a step closer to the nurse, who shrank back. "I haven't heard anything about Tony for a week. A week! I get a text saying that Tony's going to Pisa for a few days for a mission. He asks me to cover his meetings. Then nothing. For seven days! And I'm his _girlfriend_. So then I get a call from Fury, who says to come to the hospital. Then he hangs up without explaining ANYTHING. So God help me, if you leave me in the dark again, I am going to get you fired. Then I'm going to get your beautiful wife fired," she continued, pointing at the pictures on the nurse's desk. "Then I'm going to make your life even more miserable..."

The nurse was cowering, staring in sheer terror at Pepper, who was now shouting. Visitors and hospital personnel were beginning to stare.

"Come on, Pepper." Steve had arrived on the scene at just the right time. He took her arm gently and led her away, as she continued to shout and shake her fist at the nurse. Poor guy. "Bruce will explain everything," he muttered in her ear, and she seemed to relax a bit.

"I'm never going to forgive any of you, you know," Pepper said.

"I tried calling you, about a hundred times. But I couldn't figure out how to make a call on this stupid thing," he sighed, pulling out the iPhone that Tony had gotten him.

Pepper grinned despite herself. "Well, maybe I'll forgive you." She turned serious. "How is he, really?"

"I don't know. I don't really understand it myself, and no one's had time to explain his condition to me."

"BRUCE!" Pepper shouted, as soon as she caught a glimpse of the scientist. "How are they?"

Bruce sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "They're both suffering from minor burns and smoke inhalation. On top of that, Tony had a concussion that should have been treated earlier, and he has a minor gunshot wound in the leg."

"And?"

"And the main problem is the smoke inhalation. They've both sustained burns in the lining of the lungs, so the doctors have put them both on ventilators and are giving them medication to stop swelling."

"Will they be OK?"

"They're going to have to take some time to recover, but yes, they'll both be fine," Bruce's face lifted in a genuine smile.

Steve and Pepper released breaths they didn't know they'd been holding.

"Can I see him?" Pepper asked sweetly, flashing her best puppy dog eyes up at Bruce.

"I can answer that," Tony's doctor said, walking over to join them. "No. He needs rest; that's the best way for him to heal quickly. Go home, eat something, take a nap, and we'll call when he's ready to be seen.

Pepper looked like she would very much like to sick the Hulk on the doctor.

Steve touched her shoulder lightly. "Come on. I'll treat you to Chinese."

Pepper hesitated, then nodded. Everything was going to be fine.

...

**A/N: Please review? :D**

**Sorry that is chapter took so long. I wrote it all out, then accidentally hit "Cut" instead of "Copy" before saving :/ **

**A word to the wise: ALWAYS save. **


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So, there is a gap of about two weeks in between this chapter and the last one. Tony and Clint are off the ventilators but still in the hospital for a little while longer.

Thanks for the reviews :)

...

"FRIEND STARK! FRIEND BARTON!" Thor boomed, making Tony wince. "I AM SO DELIGHTED THAT YOU DID NOT PERISH!"

"Me too, meatloaf," Tony said. "Not that I don't love hearing your dulcet tones, but here in Midguard, we have more than one volume. My favorite volume happens to be _really quiet_."

Pepper swatted him on his arm, causing him to flash his signature grin up at her.

"You find me hilarious. Admit it, Ms. Potts."

In reply, Pepper leaned down and kissed Tony.

"Ugh! Get a room, guys!" Clint snorted in disgust from his bed.

"We did get a room. You just decided to intrude upon it, Mr. Third Wheel," Tony shot back. "And I wouldn't be talking." He winked at Natasha, who was sitting on the edge of Clint's bed and glaring daggers at Stark.

"We brought you back some food," Steve cut in before Tony got himself into too much trouble.

"Oh, praise the lord!" Clint whooped, struggling to sit up. Natasha pushed him back down into his bed forcefully.

"This hospital food can only be described as gelatinous goo," Tony sighed, staring sadly at his untouched meal.

"More like sewage matter," Clint said, wrinkling his nose.

"We brought Italian," Pepper told them.

"Aw, you shouldn't have. Really, you shouldn't have. Spaghetti sauce screws up my digestive system," said Tony.

"That's why I got you fettuccine," Pepper told him, producing the takeout box.

"Oh, Pepper, what would I do without you?"

"You would starve, your business would fail, and you would be extremely lonely," said the redhead matter-of-factly.

"Those are excellent points."

"Tony," said Clint, already digging in, "do me a favor and shut up. I haven't had decent food in weeks. I want to savor it."

"No can do, Robin Hood. You've been the only person I've been able to talk to for almost a month. You get boring."

"Is Friend Barton really as dull as Friend Stark says?" Thor whispered loudly to Steve, who stifled a chuckle. Clint snorted into his pasta and Bruce bit back a laugh. Even Natasha cracked a smile when Tony said, "Yes, Thor. Barton puts me to sleep every time he opens his mouth."

Sticking out his tongue, Clint flicked a piece of bread at Tony with his fork. Tony yelped in indignation. "This is my favorite hospital gown!"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Could you two be any more immature?"

"No," both replied at the same time.

"OK, you guys have spent way too much time together," Bruce snickered.

"Didn't have much choice, did we, Brucie? We were sort of stuck in an underground tree fort... Then came the joint hospital room, which honestly is just Fury's way of saving money. Cheapskate..." Tony said as a nurse walked in.

"Time for your medication, Mr. Barton, Mr. Stark," she said cheerfully.

"Ah! At last! How incomplete my life would be without more medicine," Clint sighed, wrinkling his nose.

"We'll just go," Pepper said, standing and patting Tony's arm. The rest of the team followed suit.

"Ok, but I am expecting you back here at 7:00 sharp," Tony called after them.

Steve closed the door behind him. When he turned around, he was face-to-face with Nick Fury.

"Chief," he acknowledged. "How are you?"

"How are Stark and Barton?" Fury asked.

"Fine. What's going on?"

"What?" Fury asked distractedly, looking down the hallway nervously. "Oh, we have a situation involving Summers and Bronson."

Steve felt his stomach drop. "What's wrong, sir?"

"They've escaped."

...

**A/N: Please review :)**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you all so so much for the reviews!

13 is an unlucky number ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers. I don't even own a copy of it on DVD (yet).

...

Summers was crawling through the air vents, feeling very claustrophobic. He was tall, over six feet, and air vents were not his cup of tea. But this was the only place SHIELD wouldn't be looking for him, since his size should have been too large to allow him to utilize these passageways.

Clyde had managed to get his hands on a map of the vent system in the hospital Stark and Barton were staying in. Now Clyde was hiding out, leaving the dirty work for Thomas. Left, left, right, skip two exits, right, left, right.

Here. Summers edged up to the little rectangle of light, peering outside and pulling his pistol out of his pocket. He hated using pistols. They felt all wrong in his hands... But he didn't exactly have access to his rifle, and the pistol had been the only thing he'd been able to grab from the SHIELD agent who'd tried to stop him. It would do the job, though.

Below him, in Clint and Tony's room, Fury was standing, looking extremely frustrated. Tony and Clint looked furious.

"How did you let them escape?" Tony seethed.

"They hacked through our electronic locks..."

"How is that even possible? They didn't have access to a computer, did they?" Clint growled through his teeth.

"Actually, that part probably isn't Fury's fault. I could hack through those locks in about five minutes, without any kind of technology..." Tony said.

"Which is why I haven't locked you up when you start irritating me," Fury finished. "When this is all over, you're going to make our jail cells impossible to get out of."

"Please," Tony snorted. "No cell is truly impossible to get out of, especially for someone like Bronson."

"You mean someone like you," Clint commented, and Tony nodded, smiling a bit proudly.

Fury rubbed his temples, sighing. "Look. What matters right now is you guys' safety."

"Aww, how touching."

"Shut up, Stark. We've posted 24-hour guards outside your room. They know what Summers and Bronson look like. We've also got every other agent we have on their tail."

"Great. We'll be out in a couple of days, I think," Clint said.

"When you do get out, you two will be staying at base until we catch these guys."

Tony groaned. "I want to go home, take a nice, long shower, and sleep in my own bed. Is that that too much to ask?"

"It is if you want to survive. I'll check in on you later. The team is in a meeting right now, but they'll be in afterwards."

Fury turned and left the two men alone.

_Finally_, Summers thought as he aimed his pistol straight at Clint's head.

Tony sat up straight all of a sudden, startling the marksman.

"Clint, did Fury say he'd checked the air vents?"

In that moment, Tony's eyes met Summers'. Crap. He had to make his move. Summers squeezed the trigger, hearing the bang. In the confusion that followed, he crawled out the way he had come and ran with everything he had.

...

Tony had tackled Clint a split second before the gunshot sounded.

_Here we go again_, thought Clint, who was lying face down on the floor.

The SHIELD agents began rushing in, panicked shouts echoing throughout the room.

"Vents," Clint coughed before pushing himself up.

He turned towards the bed and went pale. Tony was lying face down, clutching a bleeding arm.

"Why do these things always happen to me?" he grunted into the pillow, before he was surrounded by doctors and nurses. "'Least I'm in a hospital, right?"

Clint was frozen in shock. That bullet would have gone straight through his head had Tony not been there. Tony Stark just saved my life, he thought as his friend was carried away by a pack of complete strangers.

...

**A/N: Please review :)**


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: thanks so much for the super awesome reviews!

...

"Well, you managed to screw that up. Big time," Clyde said, throwing his phone at Thomas. The article he had pulled up read, "TONY STARK SHOT IN NEW YORK HOSPITAL."

The men were in an abandoned junkyard, the sun slowly sinking behind a mountain of rubbish.

"He figured out where I was, and then he got in the way of the bullet," Thomas argued, sliding the phone back towards Clyde.

"You should have stuck around long enough to get a couple of decent shots in."

"I did everything I could, alright?"

"WELL YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER!"

Thomas took a step back, fists clenched in cold fury. Then he gave a low, sarcastic bow. "Sorry to have disappointed you, your highness," he said, hate leaking out of every word.

Then he drew his pistol.

...

"Is he all right?" Clint demanded, shoving his way past nurses and doctors alike.

"Sir!" cried one nurse in alarm, trying to block his path.

"Is he OK?" insisted Clint, trying to push past the nurse, who was surprisingly strong for her size.

"Hey, Clint, buddy, calm down." Bruce had appeared out of nowhere, taking Clint by the arm. Clint continued to struggle. "He'll be fine," Bruce reassured him. "But if you want Summers and Bronson caught, you're going to need to talk to Fury. Come on."

...

"Clint," said Steve tensely, standing as the archer and scientist entered. "What exactly happened?"

Clint relayed the story to them as best as he could, and, when he was finished, Thor stood.

"I will stand for such treachery no longer!" he boomed, and, grabbing Mjölnir, he stomped towards the door.

"Where's he going?" Natasha whispered to Bruce, who shrugged.

A few seconds later, Thor reappeared. "I have no idea where I am traveling..." he said, frowning.

"Neither do we," Clint spoke up. "Does anybody have a lead on their location?"

"A doctor saw a tall, dark-haired man crawling out of the vents. He ran to the exit, and the doctor lost him in the parking lot. That doesn't help much, does it?" Bruce replied.

"Actually..." said Natasha, eyeing Clint.

...

Clyde held his hands up in the air, eyes widening. "You wouldn't. Not after all we've been through. Come on, buddy."

Thomas chuckled icily, sending a chill down Clyde's spine. "I never get credit for anything I do around here, do I?"

"Thomas, you're the most amazing marksman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Summers continued to advance, eyes glinting. "Nice try. But it's a little late. Besides, I can't have any loose ends hanging around once I've killed Stark and Barton."

"I'm not a loose end," Clyde pleaded. "You need me. I can get you into any computer, get you any information you want. I can make you a billionaire."

"We've been working together for years. Why haven't you done it yet?"

Clint had his back pressed against a pile of trash. Discretely, he felt for something, anything, that he could defend himself with.

...

Clint slid easily into the vent the doctor pointed out. The first thing that hit him was the smell. Clint covered his nose with his shirt and glanced around.

"Anything up there?" Steve asked.

"Smells," Clint replied dryly. "And there's a lot of dirt."

"Maybe a junkyard?" Natasha called up to him. She punched Fury's number into her phone. "This is Agent Romanoff. Has there been any suspicious activity around any dumps recently? Yeah... Ok. Mmhmm. Will do." She hung up and looked at Steve. "We've got an address. Fury says to be careful. Coming, Barton?"

Clint slid out of the vents and grabbed his bow, nodding.

...

Something sharp sliced the tip of Clyde's finger, and he bit back a hiss of pain. Thomas was staring at him hungrily, as if contemplating exactly how he should shoot the smaller man.

"Drop your weapon, Summers."

Clyde breathed a huge sigh of relief as Summers whipped around, coming face-to-face with Clint. Natasha, Bruce, and Steve were further back, looking extremely pleased with themselves. Clint's arrow was pointed directly at Thomas's heart, and the taller man reluctantly dropped the pistol.

It was time for some good old-fashioned acting. "Guys, please. Summers was forcing me to play along with his sick game. He said he would kill me if I didn't do what he said. Then he decided he was going to corner me and shoot me..." Clyde began to ramble, meriting a look of fury from Summers.

"Shut your trap, Bronson," Clint growled. "You can save it for the judge. Personally, I hope that you two rot in a jail cell together for eternity."

Thomas turned towards Clyde and gave a smirk. "Me too," he replied, winking. Bronson gulped.

Natasha slapped cuffs on the two for the second time in a month, looking even more pleased than she had the first time.

Bruce's cell rang, and he excused himself while Natasha shoved Thomas roughly towards the car. Steve did the same to Clyde.

Clint coughed a little, feeling mentally exhausted from the day's events. He kept his bow trained on the pair, even as they were seated in the car.

Bruce hung up the phone and waved at Clint, grinning from ear to ear. "Tony just got out of surgery. He's going to be fine!"

...

**A/N: Review? Pretty please? :)**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Last chapter... :(

...

"Heads up, Stark!" Clint tossed a chocolate chip at Tony, who caught it in his open mouth. The Avengers, seated around their friend, erupted into cheers.

Pepper rolled her eyes, smiling. "You guys are so immature."

"I know. It's not something I'm proud of. Oh wait. Yes it is," Tony said thoughtfully.

"On that note," Pepper said, laughing, "I have a meeting to attend in your absence. Have fun on your week off. It's the last you'll be getting for a while." Leaning down, she kissed him, careful not to jostle his injured arm. Natasha got up to leave as well, muttering something about paperwork.

"So, Stark," Steve began once Pepper and Natasha had left.

"Yes, dearest Capsicle?"

"On some of the footage we retrieved from the island, you said you had pictures of Fury in a nightgown..."

"You have no idea how drunk he was that night, in his defense."

"Oh, I'm sure he had a great reason, it's just... How did you get those pictures?"

Tony winked. "Stark Industries has eyes in the sky."

"It's true!" Clint exclaimed. "Tony has pictures of me dancing a tango with Betty White! I don't even remember that! And trust me, I should remember dancing with Betty White."

"Who's...?" both Steve and Thor began.

"Actress," replied everyone else in the room.

"One of the most hilarious women I have ever met," Tony continued. "Anyway, what are we going to do with ourselves now that all the fun and games are over?"

"I don't see how getting kidnapped, shot, and concussed are 'fun and games,'" said Bruce, eyeing Tony's bandaged arm.

"It beats the heck out of paperwork," Tony told him.

"Speaking of paperwork," Clint started, and Tony interrupted with a massive groan. "Shut up, Stark. Anyway, we need to file a report about the incident."

"Please, Barton. I haven't filed my paperwork from the Chituari invasion."

"But that was over 76 sunsets ago!" Thor replied, appalled.

"No kidding. But if Fury gives me any crap for it, I shall tactfully remind him of those pictures."

Even Steve snickered.

A large nurse in hot pink scrubs walked through the door as Tony was explaining the concept of wifi to Steve.

"Sorry, guys. Party's over; only family members can be in here. Tony needs to rest."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve said politely, waving at Tony and slipping past the nurse into the hallway.

"See you later, Tony," said Bruce, following Steve.

"This man is my brother," Thor said indignantly, not budging. No one saw the small smile Tony gave at those words.

"Get. Out. Now," said the nurse, in a voice overflowing with false sweetness.

Thor opened his mouth to argue, and the nurse took a step closer. Suddenly looking nervous, Thor grabbed his hammer and swiftly walked towards the door.

The nurse turned to Clint, smiling expectantly.

"Thank you," Clint said sincerely, smiling a little and clapping Tony on his good shoulder.

Then the archer was gone.

Those two words made everything worth it for Tony. The month had been crazy. He had grown a little, hurt a little, lost a little, learned a little. But most importantly, he knew there was a man who would always, _always_ have his back.

And that's all that really mattered.

**The End**

...

A/N: This story was a blast to write. I hope you all liked it, and thanks for sticking with me until the end :)

My next fic will either be about Tony and Bruce or a Sherlock Holmes fic. If you have an opinion on which I should do, please let me know by review or PM.

Please leave one last review, for me :)


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